SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES

 The commandments are not given to us to limit our freedom but in fact it is the formula for a truly happy life and enhances our freedom even more. Imagine someone driving in the freeway and the kind of scenario if there are no rules and regulations to be followed. There would be a lot of chaos. Can we imagine leaving our children in a day care with a playground without any fences? These are the words of our Apologetics teacher who shared to us the guidelines to a truly happy life. These rules help us enjoy life and have more peace and joy. God's commandments can be outlined as principles of moral life (CCC 2033: The Magisterium of the Pastors of the Church in moral matters is ordinarily exercised in catechesis and preaching, with the help of the works of theologians and spiritual authors. Thus from generation to generation, under the aegis and vigilance of the pastors, the "deposit" of Christian moral teaching has been handed on, a deposit composed of a characteristic bo...

  I could never forget this young lady when I was watching this TV game show in the The Filipino Channel (TFC). This very young contestant was barely 18 years old at that time. She was so firm in her convictions that she did not change her mind not even once with the color she had chosen which she was hoping to contain the jackpot prize despite the rising money offers given to her and the probability that what she chose contains nothing at all. She said that every time she's at home and watching the show she already promised herself that she would choose the color blue if she would be given a chance to play as a contestant. She even said that she was not supposed to be in the show, it so happened that somebody backed out that's why she got the reserved slot for that person. So she felt it that it was already a great opportunity that she was able to go there and much more to be the final contestant who got the chance to play and win the jackpot prize. She said that before she we...

  I am suddenly reminded of the time when we attended the Bible Study in  San Lorenzo  and it was the last of the series of talks about the Book of Mark. It focused on the 4th and last pillar of Mark's gospel which is the Markan Community (Communal/Sod) It is like any other community, human, broken and shared. A story of failed discipleship which can be found in Peter who denied Jesus 3x, Judas, the betrayer, James and John who were so ambitious and insensitive and so many others that can be found in the bible. A community of all and not dictated by race whether Jew or Gentile. The community gives special attention to the weak and helpless. There is strength in the community in spite of its brokenness. It tells us that the apostasy of Peter was committed when he was alone which tells us that it is not good for man to be alone. I guess we can learn from these famous lines, "I am at my best when I'm in a relationship." "Suffering is the best teacher." "Bi...

 I love this song. "God's got an army. It's marching through this land. Deliverance is their song. There's healing in their hands. There's everlasting joy and gladness in their hearts. And in this army I've got a part!" When I first heard it I felt like I really want to belong. Well, it is our mission and call. We should really belong. It is nice to know that we are part of a family whom we can call our own and get support from. All of us want to belong to a family which can be a source of inspiration, love and strength. Today's 1st reading tells us that we are blessed that aside from the family that we have been born with we also have a holy family in which we become members of the household of God. It can be told, we are God's children and dwelling place. Thus we ought to do everything in our power to make ourselves pleasing and holy before the Lord. When we speak of physically constructing something like a temple we've got to have all the ne...

  God's daily assurance to us is written in the 1 st  reading today. We should be thankful to God that with each passing day He never fail to remind us of His love and mercy    that no matter what happens we should continue to be hopeful in the promises of God our Savior. I would like to share with you these words of wisdom in Sabbath magazine which I am fully convinced and agree with 100%. THE PROMISES OF GOD FOR US Romans Chapter 8 is the centerpiece of Pauline theology on the nature of Christian life as we should live it. Verses 28-30, talks about the promises that God made long ago to make us all as it were the eldest of many brothers — that is, we receive the fullness of the inheritance that God has for us. (Under Jewish Law, the eldest son inherited virtually everything and it was his responsibility to provide for his siblings.) Paul tells us that for those who have faith in God, whatever situations we encounter in life will turn to our good. This may be diffic...

  Well, I guess everybody is guilty of this. We really tend to doubt and lose heart whenever the things that we want are not within our reach and sight. We really have to strengthen our faith and hope for something we do not see and wait with endurance. Just like what the 1 st  reading is telling us today. There are so many unforeseen events at hand but we should remain firm in our faith, patiently wait and hope that the Lord will be gracious and reveal His glory. We may be going through a lot of trials and uncertainties in life that we sometimes feel like things are not going to get better. Or worse we may be experiencing it for quite some time and starting to become impatient of our situation and start to think of resorting to ways and means that this world offers rather than continue to trust in God’s steadfast love that never ceases. Today's 1st reading reminds us to not lose sight of what is truly important and of greatest value. Let us not be lured by the false, empty an...

    We are engaged in a battle that has been won but does not stop there since we have to always put on our guard for the enemy does not rest. The whole process of being saved is "justification".  Man is saved by God's grace alone based on Catechism of the Cathollic Church (CCC )1996. Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. The 1 st  reading for today clearly speaks of God's tremendous power manifested in the Spirit that dwells in us. Wow, we are heirs of God, it makes me think of rich families who leave vast properties to their heirs and people will always say how fortunate those people are being left with such an inheritance. In the same way we should realize the inheritance being handed over to us by God our Father. Every inheritance has its conditions and with God's we are all...

  Today’s 1 st  reading reminded me of Sis Joy's testimony of the victorious court trial that took place in October 13, 2009 (Feast of Our Lady of Fatima). She said that the day of their accident was also the day of their Family Consecration to our Blessed Mother Mary. She was completely at a loss for the right words to say and could not understand the meaning of what happened since they got consecrated as a family in the morning, was full of hope and joy on that day but just before that day ended she met this accident that totally wrecked her car and worst the policeman made an erroneous report that states that she is the one at fault. Despite the discouraging circumstances that took place she said that she continued to trust the loving care of Mama Mary. And she was not disappointed for on the day of the court hearing which was originally set for Oct. 6 but moved to Oct. 13 (Feast of Our Lady of Fatima) she was proclaimed not guilty. Everything really happens for a reason at...